New species of ancient European panda identified
SAugust 2, 2022
cientists have discovered a new species of the giant panda, which would have lived 4.5 million years ago! They think it would the “last known” and “most evolved” panda species in Europe.
A fossil of a tooth found in wetlands in Bulgaria in the 1970s was key to the discovery, with the team able to use them to identify they had come from a type of panda. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, which looks into the study of cells and science, as well as ancient life — from dinosaurs to prehistoric plants and animals.
One of the co-authors of the study Dr. Spassov said it had taken him a long time to realise that this was an unknown fossil giant panda.
He said: “This discovery shows how little we still know about ancient nature and demonstrates also that historic discoveries in palaeontology can lead to unexpected results, even today.”
How different would ancient pandas have been to the ones we see today?
The prehistoric panda is not a direct ancestor of the giant pandas you’ll be used to seeing, but it is a very close relative.
There are also a few differences between this ancient European panda and giant pandas today.
According to the study, the European panda wouldn’t have survived on bamboo alone but rather ate a more varied diet of softer plants.
The fossil records and the parts of the teeth uncovered from this period suggest they wouldn’t have had strong enough teeth to crush the woody stems.
Their diet may also have been living in similar areas at the time, as they competed for food sources.
Dr. Spassov said: “The likely competition with other species, especially carnivores and presumably
other bears, explains the closer food specialisation of giant pandas to vegetable food in humid forest conditions.”
From looking at their teeth, the team think the ancient panda would have been the same size or a little smaller than giant pandas.
They say the species may have become extinct due to dramatic climate change events, which would have massively changed the terrain and surrounding environment.